The Lost Games of Ensemble

[DoctorFinger]

The closing of Ensemble Studios was one of the first really 'shocking' closings of the last few years. The gaming internets have spent the last couple weeks in particular sitting virtual shivah in memory of the studios passing. A period of mourning which will not be helped by this story (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22123), detailing the projects Ensemble was working on (in various stages) before the axe fell. Some of them will sound familiar, others evolved to merge with existing properties. Including a sci-fi MMO whose setting was changed to that of a famous ring-shaped world. Internally, the studio would prototype new game ideas. After that stage, the best results would be developed, then pitched to Microsoft, according to studio members.

They included: a fantasy-adventure RPG called Sorcerer; Nova, a "Diablo in space" game; a pirate-themed take on Diablo; a game called Wrench; a Ratchet & Clank-style platformer called Bam.

Most detailed was a game called Agent, with an art style and universe inspired by Pixar's The Incredibles, and using gameplay elements from Tomb Raider. As the concept art shows, the game was instantly iconic and unique.

Another title was Graeme Devine's Phoenix -- an RTS game featuring earthlings versus Martians in a War of the Worlds-style conflict. The game changed over time, and would eventually become something different entirely: Halo Wars.

But the company was moving in a single direction: the Halo MMO. It started in 1998, soon after Ultima Online came out, when a designer named Ian Fischer started pitching a sci-fi MMO. He loved the genre, and felt it was underserved -- so development started on Titan.

There were many iterations of the design, and then the relationship with Bungie began, and the license was incorporated in the game, subsequently codenamed Orion.
Source - Gamasutra (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22123).

[Xerxes]

They had a thing for one word titles. Again, who cares about stuff that will never be.

[Variable Gear]

They had some interesting games in the pipe, minus the ones that were glorified Diablo clones.

It's a shame Microsoft forced them to close their doors.

[BigJonno]

Microsoft: allergic to MMOs since February 13th 2004.

[Norse]

Shouldn't they be happy to be free to do whatever they want now that they've been released from MS?

[Telefrog]

Shouldn't they be happy to be free to do whatever they want now that they've been released from MS?

Sure, except for the massively reduced operating budget.

[Karak]

And the fact that they are getting sucked up by the 2 new "secret" development companies within MS.
I am both amazed and angered by MS's new Pres. That guy was secretive back in his EA days and he has taken it to MS. I love the short release and PR schedule, announcing games(most) at shows instead of randomly. But sometimes this stuff happens and there are so many secret little things they do.

[paketep]

Microsoft: allergic to MMOs since February 13th 2004.

Microsoft: allergic to PC gamers since the release of the 360.

[Hexxagonal]

I think the PC allergy started much early

[MagGnome]

Isn't Microsoft's commitment to the PC just grand?





Microsoft: allergic to PC gamers since the release of the 360.

It started with the first Xbox actually. It's all been downhill from there.

[Mike Kelehan]

I think we'll be seeing a few of these from the new studios born from Ensemble's ashes.

[Zabyx]

I'd give a nut for that pirate game...

[pomeroy]

Isn't Microsoft's commitment to the PC just grand?

I wouldn't be committed to a bitch that cheated on me, either.

[Deadend]

Microsoft: allergic to MMOs since February 13th 2004.

Or maybe just since they realize that making a profitable MMO is a hard thing to budget. As I can easily see spending $15 mil more in dev, that may only lead to 1,000 more subscribers for 3 months. The game would have had the Halo name, but maybe it wasn't the best idea for either MS or Ensemble.

It's interesting that they had all these ideas for games, but always were stuck doing RTS games. I could see that being a problem in dealing with Microsoft. As MS seems to have trouble with the idea of letting proven studios work outside of the niche of whatever their popular game was. Thus Ensemble gets stuck always doing RTS and Bungie gets stuck with Halo, as Microsoft sees those franchises as safe, proven moneymakers and NOT doing those games would be like throwing away money.

Could also be why Microsoft is moving away from having first party studios and doing more exclusives in the Gears of War/Mass Effect style in the future. Microsoft gets their exclusive franchise from Top Quality Studio, but Studio can also work on other IPs and Game styles if they want to.

Also, I don't want a Halo skinned MMO. A Halo MMO should be built from the Halo concept out into a MMO, not inserting Halo into a MMO. It also needs at least another generation of tech to do the setting justice with lots of players at once, even just for bandwidth and number of players on screen at once, let alone all the physics.

Maybe a Halo MMO in 3-4 years from now based around players in the future trying to find the Master Chief's stasis pod, with at the end of the the MMOs life (designed to last 2-3 years) the Chief is back, and Halo 4 starring the Chief comes out. Then Halo MMO 2 which takes place after Halo 4. At least, that is how I would do it.

[Raen]

Maybe a Halo MMO in 3-4 years from now based around players in the future trying to find the Master Chief's stasis pod, with at the end of the the MMOs life (designed to last 2-3 years) the Chief is back, and Halo 4 starring the Chief comes out. Then Halo MMO 2 which takes place after Halo 4. At least, that is how I would do it.

I think the issue with that (to an extent) is that MMO players don't want a defined end to a game. I mean if you invest however many hundreds of hours in a game, and a lot of money for a persistent experience then you don't want it cut off because you reached the end of the planned story. However I like the general idea of it being properly integrated into the story of the universe, and the concept is pretty cool. However unless you find a way to make the MMO run parallel to Halo 4, or not have a Halo 4, then it doesn't seem to work to me.

[MagGnome]

I wouldn't be committed to a bitch that cheated on me, either.

Yeah, all that money MS has made off of PC gaming really sucks, eh? :p

[TrackZero]

It's interesting that they had all these ideas for games, but always were stuck doing RTS games. I could see that being a problem in dealing with Microsoft. As MS seems to have trouble with the idea of letting proven studios work outside of the niche of whatever their popular game was. Thus Ensemble gets stuck always doing RTS and Bungie gets stuck with Halo, as Microsoft sees those franchises as safe, proven moneymakers and NOT doing those games would be like throwing away money.


Which in a way is understandable. I mean, if we take the movie industry parallels. It's not like I expect Jerry Bruckheimer's team to put out a documentary style film about a literary genius, or Full Moon to create a romantic comedy.

[Deadend]

Which in a way is understandable. I mean, if we take the movie industry parallels. It's not like I expect Jerry Bruckheimer's team to put out a documentary style film about a literary genius, or Full Moon to create a romantic comedy.

Oh, I think it is completely understandable and it's kind of hard to fault Microsoft on it too much. They are a publicly traded company after all. Shareholders get unhappy if you say "well, we could have done a sure moneymaker, but instead we are sinking 100 mil into a game that may or not make any kind of money at all!"

It seems like if a studio is dealing with MS or most other publishers and wants to get a new IP/game type outside of their niche, they really have to prove why it's a better idea than making a sequel.

[Variable Gear]

Oh, I think it is completely understandable and it's kind of hard to fault Microsoft on it too much. They are a publicly traded company after all. Shareholders get unhappy if you say "well, we could have done a sure moneymaker, but instead we are sinking 100 mil into a game that may or not make any kind of money at all!"
Those are the extremes, yes, but Microsoft could have easily invested more in mid-level games. Games that don't require such excessive budgets are games that are more likely to be financially successful.

[pomeroy]

Yeah, all that money MS has made off of PC gaming really sucks, eh? :p

It's not like they've made games incompatible with the PC, man. They're just putting their gaming resources into the bigger moneymaker. Piracy on the 360 really doesn't dent their bottom line, but piracy on the PC does.

[BigJonno]

Or maybe just since they realize that making a profitable MMO is a hard thing to budget. As I can easily see spending $15 mil more in dev, that may only lead to 1,000 more subscribers for 3 months. The game would have had the Halo name, but maybe it wasn't the best idea for either MS or Ensemble.

I just wish that MS would have the chops to see an MMO through to completion or just refuse to fund them in any way shape or form. How many have they cancelled now?

[Widgetcraft]

Most detailed was a game called Agent, with an art style and universe inspired by Pixar's The Incredibles, and using gameplay elements from Tomb Raider. As the concept art shows, the game was instantly iconic and unique.

This is easily the most interesting idea out of the lot.